


Board Games

by taylor_tut



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Fever, Gen, Hiding Medical Issues, Illnesses, Max Cares, Protective Max, Sick Character, Sickfic, dadvid, david just wants the campers to be happy, david works so hard, sick david, worried max
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 15:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14216298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taylor_tut/pseuds/taylor_tut
Summary: A birthday fic request from my tumblr: David is sick and feverish, but still wants to take the campers out for a day on the water. Max thinks he's an idiot (spoiler alert: he's right.)





	Board Games

Gwen looked David over again at the breakfast table, frowning. He was simply pushing his food around his plate without eating any of it and shivering despite wearing a cardigan. 

“David, the kids will understand if we need to postpone the water day because you’re sick,” she reminded him. David scoffed and raised an eyebrow skeptically. “Okay, well, maybe not. But it’s better to have them mad than to scar them for life when you pass out and drown in the lake.” 

David shook his head. “I’ll be in the boat the whole time,” he defended weakly. “Look at the kids,” he said, staring directly at Max, who was sitting already in his swimming trunks with his towel in his lap.

“Look at  _ you _ ,” Gwen countered. “It’s 100 degrees outside and you’ve got a fever.” 

“We’re done eating,” Nikki said, taking the last few bites of Neil’s breakfast and sliding it into the trash can. “Can we go on the lake now?” 

Gwen looked like she wanted to say something more, but a pleading look from David stopped her--damn it. She was weak for those stupid puppy eyes.

“Yeah, as soon as everyone is all lined up, we’ll go.” David looked almost as happy as Nikki did until his breath caught on a painful, choked cough. She sighed. This was going to be a long day.

\--------------------------------

“David, do you know how to water ski?” Neil asked, struggling to stand up on them, “because I have the physics all figured out, but I can’t make it  _ fucking _ work.” David opened his eyes and shook himself awake, coughing into the sleeve of the cardigan he was still wearing. 

“I used to be pretty good,” he admitted, “but I’m out of practice.” 

Neil fell into the water again, hanging upside down by his skis for just a moment before bobbing back up frustratedly. 

“Can you show me how?” he asked. 

David shivered at just the thought of getting into the cold water. “Um, I would, but I--,” he floundered for an excuse for a moment, “There’s only one pair of skis.” His voice was starting to sound downright painful, betraying just how much it hurt to speak. “Just keep at it. You’re a smart kid; you’ll get it.”

Max frowned, using his hands as oars to float his innertube closer to the boat. David had sunk back down into the seat, shivering and hugging his arms. Even in the cool water, Max could feel how hot the day was, and David’s cheeks were flushed bright red. Concerning red.

“Maybe you’d better get out of the sun before you fry your brain like an egg,” Max suggested. There was a bite to his tone. 

David looked down at him and smiled, splashing a few handfuls of water at him. He couldn’t help it--Max was just so cute when he was actually enjoying himself. “I’m good, kiddo,” David insisted, “It’s not that hot.”

Max raised an eyebrow. “It  _ is _ that hot, and you’re shivering in a sweater,” he returned. “Don’t you find that a little alarming?” 

David’s head was pounding and he didn’t want to deal with this.

“Don’t worry about it, okay?” he dismissed, “just go have fun. Wanna go for another ride?” He leaned over the side of the boat to tether Max’s tube to the boat, and Max saw the opportunity--he pulled David into the lake by the arms.

“Max, what the hell?” Gwen barked. “Fish him out of there right now!” 

David popped his head out of the water and Max ducked out of the innertube, pushing it to David for support. He snaked both arms through it and rested his forehead against the side, taking far too long to catch his breath. 

“David?” Max prompted, inching toward him as fast as he could make his arms move in his life jacket.

David kicked in the water until he was next to the stairs of the boat and allowed Gwen and Max to help him into it. Gwen draped a towel around him. 

“Are you finally ready to give in and just call it a day?” she asked, watching as David exhaustedly tried to get himself warm and dry.

He looked at her pitifully. “I don’t want to make the kids come inside while they’re still having a good time,” he said. 

“Well, I’m not,” Max piped in. 

“You’re--what?” David looked skeptical, worried. 

“I’m bored with this,” Max said indifferently, “I want to do something else.” 

David’s face fell, his shoulders sagging. God, he didn’t have the energy for a new activity. 

“What do you want to do?”

Max thought for a moment, then decided, “I want to go inside and play board games.”

David blinked. “Really?”

Max nodded, turning to the others pointedly. The whole scene had drawn the attention of the other campers, and David’s misery was apparent. “I think we’d all like to get out of the sun for a while and go play board games quietly inside.” 

“I’m  _ always _ excited for board games,” Nerris announced. 

“Don’t make this lame, Nerris,” Max quipped. 

Gwen beamed proudly. “Who else is ready to go inside?”

Murmurs of agreement, though not unsolicited by a threatening glare from Gwen, were enough to send waves of relief through David’s body. 

\--------------------

Max sat on the couch next to David, frowning when he could feel the heat coming off him like a radiator. 

For his part, David was barely awake anymore, the whole day taking what little energy he had, and it wasn’t even dinner time yet. 

“Max, what Monopoly piece do you want? Harrison’s the tophat, and Nurf is the shoe. I’m the guy on the horse. But the car and the dog are still up for grabs! Plus, whatever this thing is,” she said, shaking the box in front of them.

“That’s a thimble,” David explained. “You use it when you sew.”

Max shrugged, shoving the box away. “I don’t care,” he said, “Monopoly is stupid, anyway.”

“It’s weaponized capitalism!” Nurf added, pounding his fist into the table hard enough to send some of the money flying.

“My bank!” Preston shouted.

“I thought you wanted to play board games,” David pointed out. Max shrugged.

“I wanted to do whatever got your stupid ass out of the water before you died,” he admitted. He looked him over again, pressing a small hand to his forehead with a frown. “You might die anyway,” he muttered. 

David buried his face in his hands. “I knew it,” he lamented. “I knew I ruined today for everyone.” 

Max rolled his eyes. “Don’t do that,” he snapped, “you got sick. It’s not like it’s your fault.” 

David shook his head. “I should’ve pushed through it,” he said, his words riding on a hitching breath. Max grimaced. Shit, was David crying? It had to be the fever talking. 

“You tried,” he said. “Which was stupid.” 

“I know,” David agreed, sniffling miserably and coughing a few times. Max thought it sounded worse than it had earlier. “I just wanted--”

“I know,” Max cut him off. He shoved David’s head against the arm of the couch, pulling the blanket that Gwen had given him up to his chin. “Just shut it and take a break.”

David tried to participate in Monopoly (he was the dog), but he drifted off pretty quickly, and Max ended up begrudgingly moving his piece for him despite the fact that he really  _ did _ hate Monopoly. Gwen reminded him that he didn’t  _ have _ to play, but since it was the only way he’d get to keep an eye on David--a job which, if he were being honest, he didn’t trust Gwen not to fuck up--he decided to stick it out while David slept. 

They went bankrupt, but at least David got a nap.


End file.
